


For The Birds

by cjr09



Category: Eldemore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-30
Packaged: 2018-03-25 07:35:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3802153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjr09/pseuds/cjr09
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You really should've thought before you broke open the gates, but you were offered pets. You can't be blamed.</p><p>You do not deserve to be thrown into jail for this, and if it takes scouring the city for feathers, that's what it takes.</p><p>(Sorren says he'll give you pets as an incentive, and you're not even facing down Azara. This'll be easy, by comparison.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1

The trip to Alabaster City takes much longer than it should've.

You blame Muzu for everything.

It really was the crow's fault- turning you in circles, doubling back and flying well out of your sight at times, you swear he was doing it for his own twisted amusement.

You're sure the Slepnir Captain Willy gave you for the journey was none too happy either.

The towering ivory walls come into sight and Muzu caws in victory, and you pause the Slepnir in their slow trot to take it in.

It's a beautiful city, without doubt, if intimidating- walls of pure white surrounding, with drakes and their riders circling in a slow, ever-watchful circle, following the walls defensively, flames decorating the sky as they flew, Muzu mimicking their circling above your head.

You gently urge the Slepnir on.

You arrive later at night- the locals are either packing it in for the night or preparing to go out, illuminated by the fading sunlight and the Fire Flower Glasswork Dragons, and while a few people give you curious looks, you're mostly left to your own devices as you follow Muzu, stomach twisting into anxious knots.

You distract yourself with thoughts of befriending some of the surprisingly abundant Glassworks, and before you know it, Muzu suddenly lands on a short iron fence, cawing happily.

You slide off the Slepnir and hitch them to a nearby hitching post, cooing praises at them as you do, and try your best to stop the shaking of your hands.

There's a modest cottage with a red roof nearby- the open windows trails for masses of shiny black crows fluttering in and out, carrying messages and information and whatever else the Watch Crow crows did.

Looks like you found your destination.

You follow Muzu- he's joined by several other crows, apparently he's quite the popular bird- through the wooden doors and into the house.

The first word you can think to describe it is _aviary._

There's perches everywhere- fitted neatly to allow space for every bird to roost comfortably, large windows blown open for the constant traffic to be flown through. There's a large desk on one side of the room, many cubbyholes notched into the wall in something reminiscent of a library or a post office, and a couple of large, comfortable chairs on the other.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up..."

You jump, because somehow you didn't notice the man standing by the window.

He doesn't look happy with you, and Muzu lights on his shoulder, clacking his beak in a way that you're pretty sure is mocking you.

"For a while there, I wondered if you'd even come. At least Muzu made sure to lead you here safely, but you're late. I'd advise you to be conscious of the time you waste from now on," the man says, voice emotionless, but he speaks in clipped sentences that betray his true feelings.

"Hey, your bird is the one who led me in circles for months on end. I swear he got us lost on purpose countless times just for the heck of it! And don't get me started on the constant rolling around thing he does," you jump to your own defense, because this was totally Muzu's fault. And you couldn't be traveling for months at a time, you have a Homestead to look after!

The man gazes at you steadily with dual colored eyes and you feel like you don't want to be on his bad side.

"So anyways...are you the Sorren Corvus that Captain Willy told me about? He said you guys were a part of a secret group called the Watch Crows," you ask hastily, trying to cover the awkward silence that followed.

Sorren's features soften lightly at the mention of his friend's name- good to know that Captain Willy even [i]had[/i] friends that he didn't send to face Azara on a regular basis- and Muzu nibbles on his hair happily as Sorren speaks. "Yes, that would be me. No doubt Will explained things to you back in Silverport, but I was the one tasked by Seraphina to retrieve you from the Ashmoors when you opened the Obsidian Gates. Now thanks to that, all of Eldemore is going to be consumed by Oblivion and his curse -- but I'm sure you already knew that much." 

You wince, because okay they _might have_ been the gates of hell but Steve gave you the rune stones and how were you supposed to know.

"But that is what the Watch Crows are here for, to help fix these types of mistakes." His voice carries less of an edge than before as he glances at you with that same unreadable gaze, "And hey, people are starting to call you the Sealer now. A bit of a contradiction if you ask me, but Seraphina seemed adamant on that being your 'title', so whispers have started to spread about you and the Gates. Not all of it is great, mind you, but you have a bit of renown to your name which is more than most have these days." 

Your features twist in confusion. The Sealer? That was definitely the exact opposite of what happened, but okay.

Hadn't Verdandi called you something similar? And what does Seraphina have to do with all of this?

All you wanted to do was run your Homestead you aren't _prepared_ for this.

Sorren can read your emotions like a book. "You were brought here because the Watch Crows are still unsure if you will be an asset or a hindrance yet. Your actions have set into motion a lot of unfortunate events. The other true born races are becoming more hostile towards the four human kingdoms. Many of their people are becoming ill. Black marks stain their skins where Oblivion's curse spreads, chocking the magic from their body til they become berserk with pain and madness, before ultimately having to be put down or suffering a long, drawn out death." 

Your stomach twists in digust and your hands pale where they shake, clamped together in front of you in a clammy embrace.

You really, _really_ screwed up.

"This curse seems to be affecting everything but humans, so you can imagine how relations are becoming strained beyond the human kingdoms. Our Order is meant to Watch and Protect -- we have done so from the beginning, and right now, both you and Oblivion have become our greatest threat," Sorren continues, "War is on the lips of many, the masses are either shutting themselves away behind their walls or taking advantage of the chaos, and now is the time to decide whether you will be of use to us, or be an object used against us -- after all, Oblivion chose you to open the doors, so who knows what else he plans to use you for, especially since he purposefully let you live, despite having every opportunity to end you right then and there after you released him."

You stare at the ground in a mixture of shame and fear- you feel faint, and Muzu crows from Sorren's shoulder in what could be concern.

You should've died back there, and you know it, and it probably would've been better for everyone if you did.

Have the Ancients blessed or cursed you, or some twisted mix of both?

You don't know, and you're getting tired of this helpless feeling.

"For now you will remain in Alabaster city. There are many of us keeping watch over you, the Crows have eyes all over these lands, and now they lay waiting to judge your actions. Prove you're intentions are for good and perhaps the Order will be swayed to keep you alive. Show that your intentions are selfish or that you follow Oblivion, and I'm afraid you will not leave this city again."

You're starting to get angry with no real reason to be so. "So I'm a prisoner either way?"

Sorren narrows his gaze, and ohhhh, you've ticked him off, "Does it matter? Will and I have both vouched for you, so it is up to the others if they find you a potential threat or not. Our Order will do whatever it takes to protect this realm, even if it means disposing of one individual to potentially save many. It is simply the reality of the situation -- but you should be glad they are giving you a chance after Seraphina asked them to do so."

You probably couldn't take Sorren in a one on one fight, but you might try.

"Apparently everyone is curious to see where Fate leads you."

It sounds like a grudging acceptance, and you calm down slightly.

"Alright, so what do you need me to do?"

"Simple...go out into the city and collect crow feathers. There will be many of them scattered around, but to find a single feather in a kingdom is like finding a needle in a haystack. This is a lesson to train your eyes to catch the smallest details around you. It is an exercise we use for new recruits so that they catch things that may seem out of place in their surroundings -- after all, our profession demands a sharp eye. It's a strange request, I know, but there is a reason for it." 

It sounds like what Willy asked you to do, except over the span of an entire city, without Azara's talons aimed directly to your eyes.

Sounds easy enough.

"I'll also throw in some incentive to get you going. Will said something about you having an obsession with collecting creatures? Collect enough feathers and bring them back to me, and I'll give you a creature in return. Many of them have lost their master in some way or another, so they could use a good home. Maybe it will help you keep your mind off of things and focus on the task at hand...because you really do lack focus."

That last bit would probably be insulting if you hadn't immediately latched onto the thought of _creatures._

You missed your Homestead more than words could express and it'd be nice to have some companions that weren't a weird bird.

All you had to do was traverse the town in search of feathers and you'll get some pets, and there wasn't any scratches or bruises or running for your life involved!

Sorren had _no idea._

You nod, and okay, this you could do. Just making friends with some new creatures, giving them a good home.

"So what creatures do you have for me?" You ask, and Sorren moves to behind the long desk and picks up a wooden box, placing it on the desk.

"These Runes were abandoned a while back, and they could use someone to look after them. Careful, they're hot."

Hot is kind of an understatement for something that's on _fire._

You can make out a kind of bird shape in the flames, and it reminds you of Steve.

"Thank you," you say, softly as to not disturb the Rune eggs- not that it would in the first place, but still.

Sorren says nothing, but he side eyes you in a way that says he questions your mental health.

You're used to it by now, so you don't pay him much mind as you pick up the box and let yourself out, Muzu leaving Sorren's shoulder to follow you outside.

Once you're a bit away- back to the fence where you Muzu first lighted down, you set down the box with the flaming eggs and Muzu drops a sleek black feather into your hand.

Probably cheating, but who would know?

Probably Sorren, actually, if the Watch Crows actually had eyes everywhere, but he wasn't barging out to berate you, so it was probably safe.

You settle down next to the eggs and go about setting up a 'camp' of sorts in the middle of the street, because really, who would stop you and you really don't want to ask Sorren if you can borrow one of his chairs; he seems fed up with you as it is.

You're suddenly exhausted, and you flop down onto your sleeping bag, dragging the box of the three Rune Eggs toward you partly for the warmth they offer and partly for the comfort their presence offers.

You just hope you can pass this test and find a way to stop all of this before it starts.

You go to sleep dreaming of feathers, fire, and a blackness that reaches into every corner of your mind.


	2. Day 2

You wake early- or late? You're not sure you slept long at all, and though it's marginally darker than it was before your odd dream, you stand up and try and stretch out the slowly forming kinks in your back.

You've spent many a night on the ground, usually when you're doing things shockingly similar to what you're doing now- collecting various things and using them to gain new pets- but that doesn't make the ground any more comfortable, and so, like the sensible Eldemorian that you are, you decided to put sleep off as long as possible, Instead, you wander the city by the glow of the moon, the box of flaming Rune Dragon eggs you've brought with you, and the Fire Flower Glasswork Dragons with Muzu, barely able to make out anything as hard to see as a black feather in the dull light, but Muzu doesn't have your eyesight problems and occasionally brings you a feather or two.

(Most of the feathers you have are brought to you by Muzu, but you feel accomplished about the five or so you do find as you stumble around blearily in the dark.)

You do eventually stagger back to the fence, and while you still don't relish the thought of going back to sleep and risking another dream, you don't think you can stay awake much longer.

If you dream this time, you don't remember it.

You end up waking early, despite all of that, and in the waking light of morning you wander the city again, collecting a few more feathers as you do. You end up commandeering a beaten-up pull along wagon- a child's toy, but probably abandoned in the tangle of brambles you found it in- you place the box of Rune eggs in it and haul it along behind you, the squeak annoying but not unbearable for the services the wagon provides.

You walk into Sorren's Aviary the second you think it probable for him to be awake, and thankfully, he is.

He doesn't seem happy to be up so early in the morning, and he makes no comment about your surely haggard state, but you can see him silently judging you and so you hastily start talking.

"So, have anything new for me?" You ask, trying to smile under his unwavering, unreadable gaze.

You probably failed, but he nods. "A few. What feathers do you have?"

You hold up your bag of feathers and he motions for you to set some of them on the desk, and moves into a back room you can't see.

You set down about eighteen feathers- six of three of the different 'kinds' of feathers you'd found in your late night stumbling- that should be enough for a few creatures, at least.

A rumbling issues through the building, the crows on their perches either taking off or flapping their wings in concern, and you look around wildly- what in Eldemore was back there?

The door swings open with a bang, slamming against the opposite wall as dark shapes throw themselves out of the doorway and onto you.

The leading shape whirls around the corner and throws itself onto you and you fall to the floor hard.

From your position on the ground, you make out the shapes to be Dire Wolves- excited ones, dual tails waging as they hop all around you, getting as close as they can without stepping all over you, but that doesn't mean you're not getting stepped on and covered in slobber.

You love them immediately.

You laugh, reaching out so the Dires can smell you before you pet them, and the group of overgrown puppies yip delightedly and you get off the floor to get better access to petting them.

(You're not really watching Sorren at the time, but you could swear you see him smile a little out of the corner of your eye.)

"These canines have lost their masters due to some reason or another. Whether it was because of Oblivion's curse or some other unfortunate event I can not say, but they still wish to guard those around them and carry out their duties, despite the loss they have suffered. Loyal to the very end -- an admirable trait that we could all learn from," Sorren says, picking through the pile of feathers on the desk, and he sounds just a little bitter.

You wonder why.

"Sorren!" You call, before you really know what to say, and he raises an eyebrow at you as you try and give all of the Dires equal time as you scratch behind their ears. "Hey, I never got to say anything before, but wanted to thank you for getting me out of the Ashmoors. Captain Willy said you carried me all the way back to Silverport from that awful place...so, thanks! I'm grateful!"

Sorren rolls his dual colored eyes with a snort. "Don't be. I merely traveled there at the behest of Seraphina and the Crows. Oblivion is a master at wards, no human or true born race was meant to enter that place unless he willed it so, but lucky for you he did not count on halfborns existing I suppose...

"What's with the face? Fine. You're welcome, feel better now? You know, your physique is incredibly deceiving. You are way heavier than you look. Had to sling you over my shoulder like a sack of rocks half the time while Muzu pecked at your face to try and wake you up. Didn't work of course, but we at least got you back in one piece. Hey, don't scowl like that. That's how Muzu greets everyone -- you should be glad he's taken such a liking to you. It usually takes him forever to warm up to new faces."

Well. You try and be nice.

Sorren makes a motion with his hand that seems to mean "take your dogs and get out of my aviary don't you have feathers to collect" so you do, taking your squeaky wagon- the little pygmy Dire Wolf you'd just gotten has decided to ride in there with the Rune Dragon eggs, and you walk out with your train of mutts at your heels.

You head back to your camp at the fence, and most of the Dire Wolves decide to guard your sleeping bag- by sleeping on it, really, so you leave your backpack- minus your bauble pouch and bag of feathers- with the Dires, grab your wagon, and head out- the little pygmy remains in the wagon, and one of the fully grown ones- the big fluffy one, with curled tails and a white underbelly, with darker markings on top- follows at your heels happily.

Well, you hadn't run into any problems last night, but with the Guardian Dire Wolves at your side, you do feel a lot safer.

Muzu accompanies you from above as you scour the city for feathers again- you're starting to develop a pattern, at least, and you like to think you're getting better at spotting the tiny things.

Your stomach rumbles and the Dire by your side looks up hopefully.

Hopefully _someone_ will be selling food this early in the morning- and you're sure the Dires are hungry too, and from the gleam in Muzu's eye, you can tell he wants something too.

You return with a few more feathers, a few less baubles, a few bags of assorted human and Dire Wolf food- plus some for the Runes, whenever they hatch- and a Fire Flower Glasswork Dragon, because a man had been setting up his stall to sell them and you couldn't resist. Muzu had even gotten bored with your meager haggling abilities and had flown back to the Aviary with how long you took.

You remind yourself to never go shopping without someone there to hold you back.

Your sleeping bag and backpack are exactly where you left them, Muzu and a few of his crow friends are perched on the fence, and your Dires are lazing about, waiting for you to rejoin them; the big, fluffy Dire that had walked with you- you'd decided to name them Jade, after the color of the stones on their breastplate and upon discovering that they were a girl- barks to announce your arrival, and you're immediately swarmed by the Dires again.

You make them calm down enough to pass out food, and slump against the iron fence with Muzu and the crows once that trying challenge is done.

One of the crows hops onto your arm, demanding attention, and you have blink a few times to recognize that the crow is not a crow at all- they're not even the right color, though they are about the same size, and they have a spoon clamped in their mouth.

Whatever it is, this cute critter was coming with you.

They don't protest as you shove them into your shirt- one of the Dires was getting a bit too nosy with the thing- and they pop back up at your collar, spoon first- the Glasswork on your other shoulder doesn't look happy to have to share the warmth of your shirt, but don't verbally protest.

You slide down the fence, shoving your backpack behind you to serve as a sort of a cushion and lean against it, pulling your wagon close and distributing food to the Rune Dragon and the Glasswork, settling down with a sandwich, pulling off pieces and feeding them to Muzu when his annoying got too bad.

You could almost forget your life is on the line.

The day passes much the same as they usually do when you're collecting things- people side-eye you and shuffle their kids out of your path when you walk by, some of them frantically squealing, 'The Sealer! The Sealer!' and while you still don't know what that means, they're usually nice to you, so you smile and wave back, then go back to looking for feathers.

Everything is going well- you did manage to bring plenty of baubles (You've been through too many similar situations to not be prepared by now) and your Dire Wolves are happy and healthy and the little Finders Keepers Rune you found- you've decided to name him Spoons, for his obsession with the utensil- gets along well with the Glasswork Dragon (Who is as of yet unnamed) and the Rune eggs don't look like they're hatching- you don't know if you'd be able to tell, with the fire- but they don't look unhealthy, and you make it all the way to dusk without incident.

Of course, it starts raining.

You take refuge in the Aviary, and you, your wagon, and the Dires take up just about every square inch of space.

You're pretty sure Sorren only lets you stay because he doesn't want to put the Dires and the Runes out in the cold and wet.

He tells you it should let up soon, but otherwise, doesn't make any attempts to talk with you as he bustles about behind the long desk.

Well, that wouldn't do _at all._

"So I've been wondering... your eyes... are you-"

"A halfborn? Yes. Half Avian and half human to be exact, since I know that is your next question. Do I know which of my parents were which? That would be a no. I grew up on the streets of Silverport with Will, so it really matters very little to me. I consider him and the Crows to be my family. Being of mixed blood only seems to upset those who discriminate against the 'half-born taboo', but honestly, I had no control over that when I was born. So I make it a point to stay out of someone's way if it bothers them.

"If such a thing offends you, however, I'll be sure to keep my distance and our interactions brief. If not...well, then you would be one of the few out there who don't find issue with such trivial things. Either way, it's beside the point. What matters is that you keep your mind focused on the task at hand instead of prying into other peoples' business."

You remark that you opened the gates of hell and that you're in no position to judge someone.

Sorren makes a noise- an aborted laugh that you _nearly_ startled out of him.

You resolve to try harder next time.

"How'd you meet Captain Willy? Were you two actually pirates?" You ask, honestly curious.

"Ex-pirates, don't get that confused -- and what? Will did not tell you already in his own extravagant way? Usually he loves to flourish his stories for others. He and I met on the streets of Silverport when we were young kids. You know, living off the steals we made until we joined up with a shady group that traversed the seas. We loved the adventure, the thrill of thievery and the close encounters with death and impending doom. But, well...things happened, due to disagreements on views with our group, and we split from them later on. Luckily we survived the ordeal, since you don't usually disband from a group like that without a fight, but there is no reason to go into those past tales. It's done and over with and I'd like to keep it that way.

"Point is, we both were eventually found by Seraphina and her group of Mystics later on, who eventually led us to joining the Watch Crows after we finally ended our life of piracy. Will and I have been together since we were kids. You won't find a better friend to watch your back -- but don't go telling him I said that or it'll go to his head, you hear me? The guy wears a big enough hat as it is...I really can't afford to buy him another one...you'd be surprised how expensive they are," Sorren says, glaring at you a bit in the end.

Aww. Sorren _does_ have a heart.

You tell him as much and he threatens to put you out in the rain.

You decide you've teased him enough for now, and settle in to watch the rain pitter against the now-closed windows.

You hope it'll let up by the time you need to sleep- and though you don't relish the thought of trying to sleep with the possibility of more dreams on the horizon, you're exhausted, and you do want to get out of Sorren's feathers so he can do his job, and hopefully keep you from being executed.

All you can do it wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why are these getting so long I am v confused
> 
> this never happens???? like usually I struggle for words but????
> 
> Now there are too many?????
> 
> Anyway, I'm super excited for the event and to continue this story! Please tell me what you think~


	3. Day 3

This time, you dream of a burning, suffocating darkness.

You snap awake with the same urgency you had the day before, flailing your limbs and fighting against the foreign object constricting you, dark and deadly and crushing you, pulling their air from your lungs and the life from your bones-

You fall to the floor in a heap, startling the Dire Wolves that surround you- thankfully you didn't land on any of them- and a few of the birds overhead flap their wings in alarm.

Just a dream.

The constricting feeling had been courtesy of a dark, fluffy blanket, draped over you in your sleep but now lying in a tangled mess around your legs.

It takes you a while to calm down- you alternate between watching the flickering fire of the Rune Dragon eggs and focus on the windows of the Aviary, watching as light slowly fills the room, waking the birds you hadn't so rudely woken earlier, and the pygmy Dire Wolf- Flufferbuns, you'd dubbed him- waddles over and flops into your arms.

You sit on the floor, cuddling the Dire Wolf, Spoons on one shoulder and Torch- the Glasswork- on the other, casting a welcome light on you and your surroundings.

So it takes you a while to remember where you are and what you're supposed to be doing- you stay on the floor until you're sure you can stand, albeit shakily- and make it back to the chair you'd fallen asleep in.

You do manage a smile when you realize that Sorren hadn't thrown you out in the middle of the night as he'd threatened, and he'd even brought you a blanket.

You _knew_ he couldn't hate you for long.

"Why are you sitting there with a smile on your face?"

Speak of the bird and he shall appear.

You might not feel up to par, but you would never give up such a prime opportunity to tease the man.

"You know, you should try to lighten up some Sorren! If you never smile your face is gonna stick like that forever," you cheerfully inform him, setting Flufferbuns back to the ground as you stand up, and he shoots you an unimpressed look as he waddles over to the wagon and flops himself in after a few unsuccessful tries to get up there with his stubby legs.

"I can clearly see Will's influence

has rubbed off on you. He tells me the same thing, but kind of hard to smile when darkness is looming over the lands becaue you opened those doors. Oh, and did I forget to mention you also unleashed a plague that chokes the magic from both the land and magical beings? Let's also not forget that a gigantic Ancient is now somewhere out there, no doubt plotting or destroying something important. Of course a lot of tension is rising between the races as well since none of this effects humans, also--"

You tune him out, after a point, not because you don't _care_ about the effect you've had on the world, but because it's still difficult to listen to- and because your knees start to shake again, and you don't want to fall down and crack your head open.

"Can I ask how you met Muzu?" You interrupt, or maybe you don't, you're not sure if he was actually still talking or not, but he makes an irritated face anyway.

"How I met Muzu? Well, I've always known Muzu...it's confusing, actually...when I was very young, before I met Will even, I remember being given an egg by someone I can't fully recall. A parent perhaps? A stranger? I don't know, all I do know is that Muzu has been there since the beginning for me. I understand that it may sound strange, but he and the other crows have always been like a family. It's easy to talk to the birds here since I have Avian blood in my veins, but I've always felt a special connection with crows in general. The irony, right?"

You squint at Sorren, looking at him closely.

He couldn't be younger than twenty, could he? But if he's had Muzu most of his life, then that would either make Muzu a really old crow, or make Sorren really young.

There was _no way._

You resolve to keep a closer eye on your feathered friend and find a way to figure out how old Sorren was.

"Stop looking at me like that. Don't you have feathers to find? It's not raining, so get out."

You do, and take your train of Dire Wolves and your wagon with you.

Fifteen minutes into your next walk around the slightly damper than usual city, you realize you never asked Sorren if he had any new creatures for you today.

You double-time it back, and he doesn't even look surprised when you practically knock down his door, out of breath as you ask if there's anything new for you.

He doesn't grace your sweaty, panting form with an answer, only remarking that you're a lot like an overweight Dire Wolf (Which is entirely uncalled for) and motions for you to hand him some feathers then get back outside.

You huff and pout and whine under your breath, but you hand over some of your hard-earned feathers and step outside.

A few minutes later, Sorren greets you, followed by four Slepnir.

"These classy sleipnir were born and raised by high society. They used to be in the care of some ladies who lived here in this city, but they squandered their money away on fancy things and can care for these creatures no more...and they ARE difficult to care for. They will only eat perfectly ripe apples or grass from a certain hilltop. They wouldn't so much as sniff the hay that I brought them. So their fancy ways are your problem now."

This is a problem you are more than happy to handle.

Sorren hands you the lead Slepnir's reins, and the Slepnir sniffs at you once and turns his head away in disdain.

Well. You knew you probably smelled, but still.

But it's nothing you haven't dealt with before.

"Well, of course their tastes are high-refined! These are very important Slepnir, and they deserve to be treated as such," you say, with a decisive nod, and Sorren looks very, very confused.

The Slepnir, on the other hand, looks very happy to finally have someone recognize him as the royalty he is.

You bow low to the Slepnir, assuring them that they were in good hands, and that they'd get the treatment they deserve.

Sorren helps you lead them to the little clearing just on the other side of the fence, in between the river and the fence where your 'camp' was.

You leave them there with the assurance you'd return smelling better and with the highest quality food you could find.

You're halfway back to Sorren's house when he finally snaps.

"Why?" He asks, sounding so hopelessly confused you take pity on him and tell him.

"That works really well for most Ligers and Servals. You belong to them, not the other way around," you say, matter-of-factly, and Sorren doesn't seem any less confused than before.

You visibly see him give up on ever understanding you and bask in your victory.

You leave him at his house and go off to the public bathhouse- usually, they're decent places for travelers to take care of the essential human needs, and this one's no different; it's still early enough in the morning that it's mostly abandoned.

Your Dire Wolves come in with you, because hey, it's abandoned, and they're starting to smell too.

Falling back into your routine is easy after that.

You scour the ground for feathers- Muzu finally joins you, from wherever the crow had been before, and your squeaky-clean Dire Wolves (and your Finders Keepers Rune, who had been very unhappy about being left out of the wonders of bath time) train behind you as you buy some hay and a bushel of apples- not high class or high quality, it's just regular Slepnir food, but they didn't have to know that.

You return and assure the Slepnir you bought only the best money could buy, and as they eat, you go about figuring out how to keep an eye on all of them at once.

Luckily, you don't have to- some of your Guardian Dire Wolves have decided to be the Guardians of the Slepnir, who seem to glow at the attention- so you set about finally naming them all.

The big, short-furred Dire Wolf with the docked tails is named Peridot, after the gems on her breastplate, and Amethyst- the really fluffy, darker furred one- is named for much the same reason; the one with fur so short you'd think her bald is Princess, and the one with the black saddle marking is named Cracker, because she stole some your crackers when you bought them as a snack to share with Torch, Spoons, and Muzu.

The Slepnir are much easier to name- the bay Slepnir with the hat is Arthur (He would only be called by the most kingly name you could think of), the dappled Slepnir seemed to respond to "K" sounding names, so you name her Catherine, and the champagne-colored Slepnir with the flowers in her mane you call Guinevere, because she seemed to like the thought of having the name of a queen, legend or no.

The little pygmy, you learn, does not have her fellow Slepnir's hang-ups about dirt and eating only the best of food, and as you untangle some twigs from her mane, you find that the name "Caroline" is stitched neatly into her saddle, so Caroline she is.

Jade and Flufferbuns stay with you, and the wagon with the Rune Dragon Eggs is now the designated food cart, but you keep it with you anyway; Spoons seems to enjoy riding around either on you or in the wagon, so he stays with you, and Torch has made her home in your pocket, and can lead the way when the sun goes down.

You sag against the fence because this was getting _way_ too complicated for something that's a simple as collecting feathers.

Muzu, Spoons, and another little crow play on the fence next to you, eventually escalating their game to a game of chicken where they see who can climb on you the most until you get fed up and shoo them away.

Muzu's gotten stuck in your hair about six times. You're not sure how much more you can take.

The little crow- and really, this thing was truly the size of a baby crow, it must've just gotten its flight feathers in- climbs up your shirt, and that's where you draw the line.

You trap the thing in your shirt until they find their way out the neck hole of your shirt, and it becomes apparent that the crow was not in fact a crow- maybe another Finder's Keepers Rune Dragon like Spoons, but it doesn't seem too upset with you.

The rune really is the size of a baby bird, and has someone's stolen diamond ring around their neck- you _really_ hope the original owner of that doesn't come looking for it- and apparently, the rune's decided to stay with you after some deliberation with Spoons

You make a note to buy Spoons a new spoon.

You name the Rune Dragon Rosie, because she wears a ring, and the song is disturbingly appropriate for your current situation.

You immediately distract yourself from the dark thoughts by cooing over your new Rune Dragon and trying to think of new ways to bother Sorren when you go visit him next, and the most likely places for a stray crow feather to have fallen.

It doesn't quite work, but there's nothing for you to do at this point but wait and search and care for your new pets.

So you do.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will name all the things, clearly.
> 
> I might come through and edit this some, there was not enough sarcasm in this chapter for me. Hopefully will come back when I think of some suitable puns.
> 
> As usual, drop a comment or a kudo and tell me what you think~


	4. Day 4

Blissfully, you don't dream that night.

You wake later than usual- you don't get to watch the full sunrise over Alabaster's white walls, and you're almost disappointed that you don't get to.

You untangle yourself from your sleeping bag, dislodging Flufferbuns and Torch as you do so, stretching out as you do a head count.

Four Slepnir, all still sleeping, despite their complaints about sleeping outside the night prior, with four Dire Wolves surrounding, one for each Slepnir.

Jade is still curled up next to you, and Flufferbuns glares at you a bit- at least, you think he is, it's difficult to tell with his crossed, dopey eyes- and Torch has flown up to the fence, curling under Spoon's wing and around Rosie, who'd already taken up residence there, and it was a testament to how small the little rune was that she could be cuddled by a Glasswork Dragon.

You look to the wagon, and a Rune Dragon blinks back at you.

One of your Rune Eggs must've hatched- the Rune is either covered in blue magical fire, or simply _is_  blue magical fire, and it stares at you with draconic, snake-like slitted pupils, hot talons clamped to the side of the wagon, looking closer to a dragon than many of the runes you've raised in the past.

"Hi," you say, and the rune continues to stare. Stares some more. then, with a flap of sparking, flaming wings, returns to the box with the eggs, curls up, and goes to sleep.

Did you pass some sort of test? You think you did.

You stand up and start the day, gently prodding Muzu and your Runes awake.

It's about... what, seven in the morning? Sorren should be up by now.

His door is unlocked so you let yourself in.

"Sorren, where are you?" You call, gently prying Rosie off your shoulder and covering the tiny rune with your hands.

Sorren comes out of the back room you keep seeing him disappear into, looking slightly irritated and confused- basically, how he always looks when he talks to you.

"Sorren, look at this tiny rune," you say, and practically shove Rosie in his face, because honestly, the rune's head was like the size of your fingernail and no one should live without seeing this.

He looks really, really confused.

"Sorren, she's so _tiny_ ," you say, shoving the rune closer to his face.

_Pweep._

You make a high pitched, squealing sound in the back of your throat and Sorren looks very concerned.

"Sorren, she's so _cute_ ," you squeak, voice still alarmingly high, and Sorren takes a few steps back.

"Do you have feathers for me, or not?"

Well, you do. But not enough to fairly trade them in for another round of creatures, so you promise to come back around lunch with more, and frown at him when he looks visibly relieved that you're leaving.

Rude.

Nevertheless, you go about your day like you have been for the past few days, letting Muzu and your instincts and the places with less people in the streets guide you through your search.

You decide to be punctual for once in your life and show up at exactly noon.

Or, as close to noon as you could get, what with the general inability to tell time outside of squinting at the sun and giving your best guess.

The point is, you weren't punctual at all, but you gave it your best shot and that's what counts.

Besides, clearly it was the will of the Ancients, because otherwise you would've never gotten to see the absolutely priceless sight that was before you.

Sorren was standing mostly behind his desk, though he'd clearly been trying to move out from behind it, but the Servals clinging to him mostly prevent him from moving too much.

Muzu makes a choked, cawing noise- his version of (mostly mocking) laughter- and alerts Sorren to your presence.

He turns to face you and you just about fall over laughing.

There's a pretty blue Serval clinging to his back, while a younger- probably pygmy- Serval alternates between clawing his hair and his face in an attempt to get to the top of his head, while a white and gold one holds a death grip on Sorren's arm, partway on the desk and partway on Sorren, while a blue and gold one clings to Sorren's leg, trying to climb up the poor half avian.

You'd help, but- actually, no, you wouldn't and probably won't, because Sorren is trying to glare at you while a Serval kitten kicks at his face and it destroys his irritable image so completely you can't help but laugh.

"These felines bear the royal colors of Alabaster City...they also keep crawling all over me, so please take them," his voice is mostly pleading at the end as the kitten's claws swipe too close to his eye for comfort, and you force yourself to regain control of yourself momentarily.

You take pity on him.

It takes probably a bit longer than either of you are willing to admit, mostly because the second you manage to dislodge one of the Servals they climb straight back on, but eventually, you get them to mostly leave Sorren alone.

They don't seem to be overly affectionate with _everyone_ \- they're curious of you, but not the outright affection they clearly have for Sorren- and you wonder if it's because of Sorren's past as a pirate.

You still laugh in his face about it, and he snatches the feathers you hand over with a huff, and it doesn't make you want to laugh at him any less.

He slides into the back room- to store the feathers, probably- and you set about naming the Servals.

Thankfully, this round of naming takes almost no time at all, and by the time Sorren gets back, they seem pretty pleased with their choices.

"The blue one is Alice, the gold-and-blue swirly patterned one is Bast-et, the white-and-gold one with the fine china designs is Cit, and the pygmy is Tee," you explain to Sorren as he walks back into the Aviary.

"Why?" He asks, and he already sounds like he's regretting it.

"Say their names fast."

"Alice, Bast-et, Cit, Tee," he says, flatly, and clearly he doesn't understand your brilliance.

"Exactly! Alabaster City!"

Sorren takes a long, deep breath, and releases it through his nose, staring at the ceiling and pinching the bridge of his nose, but you can see him hide the small smile on his face with his hand, so you count it as a victory.

You turn your attention back to the Serval kitten in your arms- Tee was just an attention hog, you could tell already- and Sorren slides a small, wooden box towards you, across the desk.

"Huh? What's this?" you ask, switching Tee's position in your arms to one hand, and use the other to reach for it.

"It's called a boxed lunch. You know, that stuff you eat when you're hungry and that helps keep you alive? I've noticed you look about half dead when you come in here after searching for those feathers all night with Muzu. That, and your stomach is incredibly loud. It's important to keep your mind focused on this exercise and to build your endurance, but it's also just as important to know when to rest as well.

"You may not have noticed it yourself, but I can see that all of this is weighing down on you. What's with the face again? Hey, I know how to cook! How else do you think all these creatures eat here? Some of them refuse to eat anything but the finest of foods -- they are absolutely spoiled I tell you. Now, eat and get back out there. I expect three times as many feathers from you now that you've had a good meal."

You're smiling at him throughout his entire spiel- he refuses to look at you throughout most of it, and you can see the tell-tale starts of a blush rising on his cheeks.

You contemplate whether it'd be worth it to launch yourself over the desk to hug him, and what the consequences of such an action would be, setting Tee on the ground with his fellow Servals.

"Well? Get out!"

You launch yourself over his desk and wrap him in a hug.

"Thanks, Sorren," you say, and he pats you awkwardly on the back.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. Feathers. Now."

You give him one last squeeze and practically skip out of the Aviary, Servals and wagon in tow.

The Servals decide that the wagon is now theirs- they only grudgingly let Flufferbuns stay, and that's only because Tee likes him, despite the age-old grudge between their species, and you decide you need a new wagon before you run over one of the Serval's tails and they end up hating you forever.

Besides, you owe Sorren three times the feathers, so you spend the rest of your day with a smile that probably scared the locals plastered on your face, picking at the boxed lunch Sorren gave you (He really was a good cook) and sharing it with Muzu when he stuck himself in your hair in an effort to get at it, and collecting feathers with a startling zeal.

For the first day since the whole mess with Oblivion started, you truly feel happy to simply be.

The day passes in a swift, bright blur, and the happy illusion remains when you go to sleep that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me tell you though, the fluff in this chapter killed me.
> 
> Anyway, I'm super happy with this chapter because it was so much fun to write (if it was super difficult to write) and I'd really appreciate it if you told me what you thought~ thank you!


	5. Day 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief warning for a fairly graphic description of a panic attack and violence- if you want to skip it, start reading at "the darkness fades."

The happy illusion shatters when you shut your eyes.

This time, the dream plays out in slow motion- creatures going mad and attacking each other and their bonds, winged humanoids you presume to be Avians drop from the air screaming- Wolfkin snarl like beasts and attack each other without restraint, claws and teeth gleaming with blood; Elvians duel to the death with their ancient weapons and blood spills across desert and forest alike, turning the ocean red with blood.

It replays slowly; like Oblivion himself had found you, curling his clawed fingertips into your mind and hand-crafting a nightmare you just can't shake.

Waking up is more like passing out- you're breathing heavily, and while you're sure your eyes are wide open, you can only see darkness and your ears are ringing and you can just barely make out the sensation of your hands shaking through the uncomfortable, all-encompassing numbness that seems to shake you apart at your very core.

You're not sure how long it takes you to calm down- you're not entirely sure you're conscious for most of it, but when you next open your eyes, there are tear streaks down your cheeks and your hair is matted in knots- you raise your hands only to find them shaking beyond your ability to use them, and while everything sounds muted, like there's cotton balls in your brain, you can pretty clearly make out a high-pitched, gasping noise, and upon further examination, you realize that that's you breathing.

You might've blacked out again- when you next force your eyes open, Muzu is cawing in alarm at you, hopping anxiously back and forth between your knee and the ground.

"I'm okay," you say- or rather, you try- your voice is impossibly small, cracking on every new vowel to the point where the entire word is garbled beyond recognition.

You feel Muzu's weight lift from your knee and a more solid weight- one of your Servals, probably- settling into the space that Muzu had just vacated, warm and comforting but so, so far away.

You try and focus on breathing- on steadying yourself against the darkness that's still clinging to the corners of your mind.

Something slides around you, and you're being lifted- you seize, flailing with the limited mobility you have, and after what feels like hours you're put down.

You feel the warm pressure of furry bodies pressing around you- you're sitting up, you realize, and try again to steady your breathing.

The darkness fades.

You're still shaking, a little, but it's nothing you can't handle and it takes more effort than you'd like to admit to open your eyes.

It's the Aviary- you think, at least, it's still difficult to tell, but this feels like Sorren's chair and there are blurs or black feathers and bright lights flying from one side of the room to another- and you recognize your Guardian Dire Wolves despite the haze in your vision, crowded on the floor and around the wagon, pressed against your legs if they could get close enough. Torch, Spoons, and Rosie are next to your head- on the top of the chair, chattering softly to one another, and the Servals have given up on all sense of personal space and are crowded around and on top of you as best they can get.

With great difficulty, you turn your head and look around.

You can't see Sorren anywhere, but the comforting presence of the creatures around you is enough.

Finally, you deem yourself well enough to move, and raise your hand to wipe your sore eyes, and immediately there's a burst of movement.

A few of the Servals purr in content, satisfied their work was done, and the Rune Dragons and crows chatter above- you can hear the faint sound of Slepnir hooves on pavement, and you're touched the prideful breed came to make sure you were okay- but the majority of the noise was from the Dire Wolves.

All at once, there's the thundering of dual tails on wooden floors, excited panting and shuffling of paws, and you manage to smile weakly because everything might still be fixable if your Dires can get excited so easily.

The noise draws Sorren in from the back room, and he doesn't ask you if you're okay, and you're oddly grateful.

He simply bustles about- busy bird, he was- and continues doing whatever work he'd been doing beforehand, mostly ignoring your presence, and when the white noise of movement started to fade out, you start asking questions.

"I've got to ask -- how did you get that scar on your eye?" Your voice is still weak, but it's mostly steady now, and you're thankful for it.

Sorren rolls his eyes. "Wow...you certainly don't shy away from the blunt questions, do you? I got the scar from Will. Same for him, gave the guy a few scars on his face in return. He'll no doubt say the scars just mean we are 'best buds for life' as he likes to put it, but we both got them when we first met each other and got into a dispute when we chose the same steal. Eventually we competed, got caught, fought then laughed about it later. That's all there is to it really. Doesn't mean you should go out and get your own scars. I seriously thought I lost an eye there for a while..."

You smile, because that's _exactly_ what Willy told you to do, and when Sorren doesn't continue, you start up another round of questions.

"I keep hearing a lot of people mention Seraphina's name, and so many seem to respect her in some way. What else can you tell me about her, if you don't mind?"

"It's difficult to really pinpoint the truths from the many tales told about her throughout the centuries, so it's hard to say. She is the leader of the nomadic group called the Mystics, humans with strange, violet eyes and mysterious auras, and has been for many, many years it seems...I'm sure you were able to tell she is no ordinary being though, when you spoke with her during your time in the Mystic Glades. From what I heard, she read your fate; Seraphina rarely offers such services to others. She usually just refuses to do so, but for those she does do readings for, they are often the ones you read about in history books for their great or terrible feats that seem to shape the world thereafter.

"Many call her the 'Fate Weaver', and some believe she is one of the Ancients of old. There is obviously more to her than meets the eye, since the name Seraphina is depicted in various art and ancient script alongside the Seraphim dragon -- an Ancient with six wings who was said to be one of the first beings to touch these lands...it makes you wonder just who she is exactly and what her past may hold. I've always been curious myself actually, maybe one day we will learn more if she decides to tell us. However, knowing her it's bound to be cryptic or confusing. Heh, I think she actually enjoys doing that to people."

Huh. So Seraphina _was_ an Ancient, then.

You mentally cross her off the list of normal people you know, bringing that list down to exactly zero.

"I've been wondering, just what is it that you do exactly for the Watch Crows?"

"What does it look like? Obviously, I babysit you and hundreds of homeless creatures..." he seems content to leave it there, and instead glare at his back until he sighs and his shoulders sag slightly.

"Fine, I suppose I can go ahead and give you a bit of insight at this point, since you've been doing somewhat, moderately well at your training exercise without utterly failing. My jobs usually require me to dispose of individuals that would do the realm harm. For example, if a group of bandits is terrorizing a town, I usually strike at the heart of the matter and get rid of their leader -- you'd be surprised how easily they fear a 'demon bird' as they like to call it. Or if a capital's monarch becomes a tyrant, I am sent to quietly silence the beast before it gets out of hand. We quell wars before they begin, we keep secrets that would totally destroy a nation, or...they send their agents to fetch a curious individual who wishes to open things they shouldn't touch.

"I guess if you want to give a title to my profession, it would be an assassin, so I will not try to sway you from that obvious truth. I know what I am and what it is I do, if it changes your opinion of me, I understand. However, I'm being honest with you when I say that I hope you succeed at proving your worth to the other Watch Crows. It would be a real bummer if you were the next target they asked for me to dispose of -- I mean, whose hair would Muzu have to roll in then?"

It occurs to you that if you'd fled the city, or outright refused to gather feathers, or done anything at all threatening, Sorren would've been the one to kill you. And still might, if you fail the test that you've apparently been taking.

The stakes in this game are very, very high, and even if you win you might end up dead.

It's a sobering and oddly calming thought.

"So Sorren, got anything new for me today?" you ask, finally standing, and your legs only shake a little at the weight.

He seems surprised- whether over the fact that you're asking for pets or that you're standing, you can't say, but he gives a slow nod.

"You said I owed you three times the feathers, and I got 'em," you say, trying to sound as pompously triumphant as possible, and Sorren rolls his eyes with a snort.

Not quite the laugh you're going for- you'll get it out of him one of these days, or your name isn't the Sealer- but you'll take it, and he gestures for you to follow him outside.

You follow, with every creature you have with you at the time pressed close and very nearly tripping you several times in the ten steps it is to get safely out the door.

You're immediately set upon by your Slepnir, who, despite their generally calm and better-than-thou nature, nose at you with concern, and you spend a great deal of time assuring them that you were fine, no, you don't have to go back to Sorren, no, you don't have to eat "common Slepnir" food.

You only look up when the sound of approaching hooves draws your attention- and your day is immediately better.

"I've always liked Elkrin in particular, they're very quiet and peaceful creatures. They also don't ask me fifty questions every day." The last part of his description is pointed and harsh, but you've come to expect nothing less of Sorren and as such totally ignore him in favor of gently stroking the lead Elkrin's nose- a pretty green doe with a... castle on her back?

Yep, that's a castle.

Well, it's not quite as weird as the zombie Elkrin from when you first opened the Gates, so you shrug and roll with it.

Rosie and Torch seem particularly interested in the castles on their backs, and poke around the Elkrin a bit before zipping inside of the little pygmy Elkrin's castle, and there's a burst of light as several other Fire Flower Glasswork dragons zip out- apparently miffed at being startled out of their home.

You make a high pitched noise and Sorren jumps, staring at you in alarm.

"Sorren, they _live_ in the tiny castles."

"Er... yes, they do," Sorren says slowly, sounding very cautious and mildly concerned.

"Sorren, the tiny Glassworks live in tiny palaces and ride around with the Elkrin."

He just nods this time, apparent concern for your mental state growing.

"Sorren, that's so _cute."_

He sighs.

As before, you ignore him in favor of the Elkrin and you're immediately more fond of them that you were two seconds prior.

Sorren leaves you to bond with the Elkrin, and you bring your train of creatures down to the shred of grass between the river and your fence, dropping off the Slepnir- they don't seem to mind terribly that they're sharing with the Elkrin now, and you quietly note that you're going to need a bigger staying area for them soon.

You spend most of the rest of the day down there- quite a few curious citizens- more than you've seen recently, at least- come around to look at the Elkrin- a rarity inside city walls- and you invite them to help you name them.

The stone patterned doe- the only one without a castle- ends up being named Dyke- which, according to the man who'd come up with the name, was the name of the walls built around villages and croplands to help defend them.

She seems to like it, so you accept it.

A teenager who'd swung around tells you to name the blue buck Bowerstone, and the green doe Fairfax, but doesn't tell you why, only rather cryptically saying that "some will know".

You accept it, because weirder things have happened.

A little girl- barely above six years old, probably- tells you that the pygmy Elkrin's name is Allie for Alabaster City with such conviction in her eyes that you cave immediately.

At least the Elkrin are named now.

You collect with Muzu for the rest of the day- _finally_ haggling the bigger wagon you were looking for off of a merchant, and move the box of Runes and the rest of your already dwindling food supplies to it, surrendering the previous one to the Servals.

Before you know it, the sun is going down, and you're beyond exhausted, but you don't think you can bring yourself to sleep, with the terrors that await you there.

So you don't, and collect through the night, with only the moon and Muzu to keep you company.  
  



	6. Day 6

No matter what anyone says, not sleeping for twenty-four hours is a nightmare in its own right.

You feel kind of like a zombie- you feel sluggish and you're beyond tired, but the thought of sleeping is something even worse- you hold onto the hope that when you finally do pass out you'll be too exhausted to dream, and contemplate calling on one of the Ancients to help you out. The Illusion Ancient you'd met with Seraphina- Mahamayah, they prefer to be called- could probably counteract nightmares. Faldinreach always had a calming effect, the Faded Galaxy might be able to help you take your mind off things at least- Nawatt, the Ancient of the Past, could probably offer some peace of mind with his historical knowledge.

Heck, you'd even take Snafu at this point, even if the most he'd do is laugh at your pain and scramble some buildings while he was at it.

It's probably considered cheating, by Watch Crow standards, and since none of the Ancients appear before you in their usual flashy burst of colors and shattered reality, you presume they're not going to help you with this one.

You're on your own again, it seems.

Muzu caws loudly to announce his arrival, and you smile as he circles you a few times before lighting on your outstretched hand and triumphantly dropping a pristine black crow feather into your palm.

Well, not entirely alone.

Another feather in the bag, literally and metaphorically speaking.

You walk through the desolate streets- more and more people are staying indoors these days, as terrified as you are of the darkness lurking just outside the white walls of Alabaster- and make a few circles around the statue of the lady with the Rune Dragon on her arm, looking once again for some sort of plaque or something describing who she was, and yet again, come up empty.

You make a mental note to ask Sorren- and speaking of, he should be up by now.

Time to go ruffle your favorite grumpy bird-mans' feathers.

You poke your head through the Aviary door, sliding inside when you don't immediately see Sorren; the back door you see him slip through a lot is cracked open, and this was a prime opportunity to see exactly what was back there.

You stealthily- or as stealthily as you can- slide over to the open door, barely suppressing the urge to tuck-and-roll across the floor like they do in all the books, and peek through.

It's a lot akin to the stables in your Homestead, actually- plenty of space in the rafters for Rune Dragons to fly and Servals and Ligers to climb- sturdy enough to hold a Griffin or Drake, as well, though you don't see any, nor any Ligers- with stalls for Elkrin and Slepnir kept neatly along the sides, riding gear for all of the various ride-able species on racks near the back.

"Alright, freshly picked cinnamon apples for the Sleipnir ladies with a side of daffodils -- don't you dare spit those back out missy, or you aren't getting any dessert. And for the dires, nice big slabs of sirloin stakes since you're such good boys for guarding our Sealer friend while I'm away. Hey! What did I tell you servals about hanging on me? You know I don't do hugs! I swear you guys are as bad as Fiore about wanting attention...fine, but just this once -- I don't want you becoming spoiled like the fancy slipslops over there."

Sorren was once again covered in Servals, a few Dire Wolves following close on his heels, and you barely repress a laugh and step back from the door.

What a novelty, Sorren being nice! You can use this as blackmail for something later, you're sure.

You slip away and leave him to it.

You return back outside to Muzu- he's hopping anxiously along the fence, keeping as far away from your wagon as he can without leaving you entirely, and you peer curiously into it.

Nope, one flaming baby Rune, two eggs, Flufferbuns and Tee, and the remaining bags of food.

Jade is lounging by it, tongue lolling out of her mouth and dual tails thumping quietly on the ground, so no one had messed with any of your things, but Muzu was certainly acting jumpy.

Muzu takes off when he sees you, cawing frantically, but follows you on your usual route through the city- though he stays well away from any smoke from chimneys, where he'd usually fly straight through them, and he's avoiding the Blue Flame Runes like the plague.

You wonder what could've possibly happened to make him so paranoid of fire all of a sudden- he hasn't even tried to roll in your hair yet.

You remember about twenty minutes later that you were supposed to ask Sorren about the statue of the lady, and a voice in the back of your mind that sounds suspiciously like Sorren whispers "focus".

You might finally be going insane.

You return to the fence, deciding to wait a bit so Sorren can finish feeding his adopted creatures, and find Muzu chattering anxiously to another crow- except it's not; another of the Finders Keepers Runes, apparently. Spoons and Rosie immediately take off to meet the other Rune Dragon- it has a pot? You think it's a pot. It has a pot on its head, and a silver necklace around its tail, and seems friendly enough, and chitters at you happily when you walk up to greet it.

Well, it'd worked with the others.

You shove the rune in your shirt, and Spoons and Rosie whine when they're not allowed to press close to your body heat, so you let them join their new friend and walk around for a bit with them constantly darting in and out of your shirt in a game of tag.

Eventually, they calm down enough to return to the wagon, and you name your new rune Peter Pan for obvious reasons.

This time, when you enter the Aviary, Sorren is being his usual grumpy self and standing in his usual place behind the desk.

He doesn't knowledge your presence, but Muzu darts to him and starts nibbling on his hair worriedly.

Sorren doesn't seem too concerned about it, so you take it as another Muzu-ism and move on.

"I've been passing by this statue in the middle of the city, depicting a young woman with a rune dragon rising up from her arm as if to take flight. Do you know who she is? She seems important, but I'm not wholly familiar with Alabaster history," you ask by way of greeting, making yourself at home in one of his chairs, and he looks up in time to glare at you before speaking.

"Hm, remind me to sit you down one of these nights so that you can learn about it. It is important to know the lore and history of all prominent capitals, regardless of your origins or inability to focus," he sounds irritated, but when you don't react he sighs and continues.

"The statue you see in the middle of Alabaster City depicts the first human to magically bond with a creature from these lands. She was also said to be the first who learned how to channel Eldemore's ever-present magic through her, due to the unlikely aid of a small rune dragon that she secretly befriended during those dark times. It was a historic feat, since humans do not inherently posses magic in their blood like the other races and creatures. Instead, they have the remarkable ability to filter it through them with the help of a bonded magical creature or entity.

"Her name was Amalthea, and it took a young child back then to teach humanity as a whole that they were more than just destructive creatures that plagued the realm. She is an icon to many, even to this day, and it is through her example that humans now work alongside the creatures of Eldemore in almost everything that they do...a trait that I am jealous of, since magical bonding is somewhat complicated for us halfborns, but Muzu and I get by just fine with our own connection." He starts shuffling around behind the desk, looking for something.

"Now let's see, I know I saw some childrens' history textbooks around here somewhere. That should be a good place to start you off. We'll give you some homework to do in your spare time when you're not searching for feathers."

You shudder at the mention of homework- involuntary reaction- but you did want to learn more about Alabaster history- and it might be a good opportunity to talk to the Ancient of the Past again, since he knew all things history.

You wonder if you're supposed to be like Amalthea- the child who brought the world together.

If she were still around, she'd probably punch you.

You're the villain in this story; you unleashed Oblivion upon the world- you're driving Eldemore to war.

You must've made a face, because Sorren drops the books on his desk with a thump.

You startle, but Sorren doesn't meet your gaze.

"If you've got some more feathers, I've got some creatures for you," he says, disappearing into the back room.

You gasp a handful of feathers- you should probably be more careful with the things- and drop them in an undignified heap on Sorren's desk.

Sorren brings out- statues?

Otterling statues, balancing on their tails and around their sphere of choice- three of the things, but either Sorren's stronger than you gave him credit for or the Otterlings are lighter than they look.

"These may seem like ornate alabaster statues, but turn your back for a minute, and they may be gone. They tend to move around when no one's watching. It will be interesting to see if you can catch them in the act," he says, brushing off his hands on his pants- and hey, there's another question you vow to ask when Sorren's in a better mood.

Why in Eldemore does he wear so many belts that don't hold up his pants.

You open your mouth to ask, and he glares you down.

You shut it.

Another time.

You maneuver the Otterlings into your wagon, (you learn that Sorren is both stronger than he looks and that the Otterlings are lighter than you thought) standing them precariously on their pedestals- Flufferbuns and Tee don't like actually having to walk somewhere for once- and you bring them down to the grass by the river, because while you don't know what statues and water are like, most Otterlings like water. Most of them.

You set them up randomly around until their positions are aesthetically pleasing and sit down to wait.

They are very good at being statues, and you're beginning to think Sorren played you- you thought that was Willy's specialty, and you're telling him Sorren is stealing his gig the next time you see him- until the teenager from yesterday comes to ask you why you're staring at the statues- you tell them that they're actually Otterlings, and apparently only move when you're not looking at them.

The teenager pales considerably- mutters something about weeping angels, turns tail, and _runs._

Shame. You were hoping they'd help you name them.

After another hour of alternating between watching the statues and reading the books Sorren gave to you, you manage to give the Otterlings names.

The one with a blue flame in its' ball- Muzu had cawed very loudly in alarm at seeing it- was Pearlesque, because you think the Otterling has same color as a pearl, and you're not that creative under duress. The one with the cracked ball is Moai- after some statues you'd read about (read: skimmed over briefly) in one of the books in your rush to read about Amalthea, and the one with the sash was Quince, for no other reason than that was a word you'd never heard and it was in the book.

You think not sleeping is starting to take it out of you.

You look up from the book, and you could swear the statues were a bit closer.

Definitely losing it.

You watch them for a little longer, and Muzu lands on the Otterling with the cracked ball- Moai- and suddenly the statue seems to come to life, hissing and, dropping their ball, picks up their pedestal with their tail and waves it at Muzu threateningly.

Muzu nearly falls out of the air in surprise, and if you weren't sitting down, you might've.

Muzu flies away in a panic and the Otterling returns to their frozen statue state, curled around their ball, and you take a few moments to recover.

You think back to every statue you'd ever seen and it's no wonder they don't like birds.

The Runes and crows stay far, far away from the Otterlings, so you return to your reading.

When you look up next the Otterling statues are right next to you, and as you look at them in confusion, all three suddenly lunge toward you and you actually scream this time.

Apparently, Sorren hears, because he pokes his head out of the Aviary window in alarm, looking to where you lie in the grass, clutching your hand over your rapidly beating heart, with the Otterlings falling off their pedestals in chirping laughter.

You think you see Sorren laugh, and oh, this calls for _war._

He's definitely laughing, and while he's laughing at you and not with you, you count it as a victory, and mentally go to war with Sorren because he better not think that now that you know he _can_ laugh, he'll get off with not doing it.

It seems your Otterlings are pranksters- and you have to admit, if you were a statue, you'd certainly spend most of your time jumping out at people and scaring them out of their wits.

You manage to sit up again and the Otterlings rapidly return to their pedestals, and you huff and poke one in the snout in retribution.

"Alright, you, we're gonna make us some plans," you say, huddling the Otterlings around you.

"You like pranks. I like pranks. I also want to make Sorren laugh because he's a grumpy bird and needs to. I need you to help me come up with the worst puns and bird jokes you can think of.

"Mark my words, my marble friends, we will make Sorren laugh!"

You think the Otterlings agree, and even Muzu seems to clack his beak in agreement.

You plan for several hours- walking around with the Otterlings in your wagon and Muzu flying overhead- careful not to get near the Otterlings and still anything related to fire- and collect feathers while you're at it, and half of your plans are probably impossible and the other half are improbable, but that's what you get when you haven't slept in thirty-six hours.

When night comes, you more pass out than fall asleep, and dream of nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many references


	7. Day 7

When you finally do wake up, it's later than it usually is when you do, and you're still tired.

Passing out from exhaustion might help with not having dreams, but it seems to suck for literally everything else because moving feels like something impossible right now.

Eventually, you realize that this is because the Servals, Otterlings, and Dire Wolves have decided to use you as a heating pad, and you're so tired and out if it it took you a rather long time to realize.

Your extremities are going numb- lack of blood, probably- but otherwise, you're pretty comfortable.

You sleep again- you think, for a moment, you're to have a nightmare, but it fades as though it's being repressed by something much more powerful.

When you wake up a few hours later, you quietly thank whichever Ancient decided to help you.

It takes you a bit to get all of your pets off of you- they're really quite heavy- but when you do they immediately begin demanding their breakfast in the endearing way only creatures can.

You go about your usual feeding routine, and when you get to the Runes, you find that the last of your Blue Flame Rune Dragons have hatched- a little pygmy stares up at you in much the same way as their sibling; unblinking and draconic, so you name them Salamander, give the new pygmy their food, and move on- the firey runes weren't the cuddliest, acting a lot like lizards, actually- so you give them their space without complaint.

Eventually, you meander your way back to the Aviary- you've got quite a few feathers collected from your sleepless night, and you're hoping to trade them all in for something amazing- plus, while you don't remember a lot of the night before, you know that you've made some pranks to pull with the Otterlings and you're eager to get started with them.

As usual, Sorren doesn't acknowledge your presence right away, so you play with the incoming crows for a while while thinking of questions to ask him in the meantime.

"I've been noticing this a lot since I came here, but I wanted to ask you personally, is everyone truly so hateful of halfborns? You said they called you a demon bird...what exactly did you mean by that? You look perfectly normal to me," you say, and almost immediately regret it. You're pretty blunt, and Sorren's always been okay with answering your more personal questions, but this might cross a line.

"...Careful Sealer, with how carelessly you let your curiosity flow. A question like that is a personal one, and though I've indulged your endless inquiries so far, that one's a bit too bold, even for you," Sorren narrows his gaze sharply, like the predatory bird he is, before deciding against whatever he was thinking and returning to his 'casual indifference' face.

"However...you seem to be honestly curious about the subject, and have shown that you have an open mind about such things. Just be careful in the future who you ask about that. There is a reason people fear halfborns, not all their prejudice comes from simple spite, but not all of their hate is justified either."

"Everyone has had their own experiences, and woven their own opinions on the matter. Some people tolerate halfborns, while others go out of their way to rid the world of their existence. I can't speak for others with mixed blood, and how their lives played out, but as for myself...well, I was my own worst enemy. Growing up as a child, before I met Will, I was often confused and angry at the world. I remember how I always wanted to just 'fit in', to be like the other humans in Silverport, but it was painfully obvious that I was different whenever my emotions would get the best of me. Hurt, anger, laughter, jealousy, all these sparked the magic in my blood and would make long black feathers pierce through my skin, and wings to erupt from my back. It was painful...in my rage and desperation, I would even go so far as to rip the plumage from my arms and face -- anything to make them disappear, but only more would take their place til I looked like some monster, a demon bird, as they so fittingly dubbed me." You've turned fully to face him, wanting to interrupt and say something- anything- but you don't. He would label your concern pity- and you know he doesn't want that.

"After a while I simply gave up. Often I was tolerated or ignored by locals, but most of my life back then was dedicated to keeping out of sight of those who wished to be rid of me for good. My futile attempts to be like everyone around me only left me bitter and resentful of humans, and I thought that if I could not be accepted then I would just become the monster they so eagerly craved to hunt...but that was not the answer either. I did a lot of horrible things during my youth. I did not care then who I hurt, all I wanted was to make them all feel my pain and to suffer as I had. However, I know now that I was just being selfish and childish with my actions. My behavior and what I did in the past was inexcusable, but...I have yet to feel any regret...makes you wonder if I've really changed much, huh?" There's something very akin to pain on his face, and for a moment he seems to be somewhere else.

"Anyways, I was slowly able to heal emotionally. I gained some restraint over my random transformations when I met Will. Since he accepted me, it made it easier to accept myself. I learned patience and understanding when we both met Seraphina after our days of piracy -- that's a whole 'nother story in and of itself, so I won't go into any more details than that. Point is, I am not telling you this just to give you insight into my past. What I felt and how I acted is how many halfborns act to this day. Their violence and anger is almost always spurred by some sort of loneliness or pitiful desperation to belong. Just remember that if you meet another halfborn, but do not forget to be cautious of them as well. The only reason I told you that part of my childhood is because you too may be subject to similar prejudices. Being the Sealer means you will face many that will blame you for what is happening to the land. Don't let them sway you from who you truly are. Don't let their words turn you into a demon as well..." His head and shoulders sag as he sighs.

"I think that's enough questions for one day. You should just go back to your feather collecting now."

You know he wants to be left alone. You would as well, after saying all that.

You don't leave, because you know that the only thing worse than having to revisit the past is to do it alone.

You stay, making yourself comfortable on his chair, and crack open one of your history books and start reading.

Sorren goes from confused, to angry, to realization, to quiet acceptance, and something close to gratitude, as he bustles about behind his desk, doing all kinds of paperwork.

The next time you lift your head from your book, it's considerably later, and Sorren looks to have recovered enough to talk to you about pets.

"Oh! By the way Sorren, got anything new for me?" You ask, and he mutters something suspiciously close to "focus" before nodding and waving at you to go outside.

You wait at the door anxiously, bouncing on the balls of your feet, and Sorren eventually rounds the corner.

With _Griffins._

Sorren has to glare at you until you stop bouncing, because seriously, _Griffins._

"I will find it hard to part with these guys. They've been especially close to me since they came here and have kept me company during my stay in Alabaster. As a personal request, I hope you take good care of them..." he trails off, and he looks sincerely upset at the thought of letting someone else take care of them.

You give him your best reassuring smile and gently pet the lead Griffin's beak, stroking softly and cooing praises. It occurs to you for the first time that Sorren actually didn't live here- you'd actually stayed in his house, Willy'd just set up shop in there- you contemplate telling Sorren about that little fact, but decide against it- heck, you'd bled all over his floor while nursing wounds from Azara.

You don't tell Sorren any of this, because you don't want to give him more reason to get you executed than you already have.

You name the lead Griffin- the one with the white underwings- Corey, after Corvus, and Sorren gives you his best unimpressed look when you tell him but you can see the sides of his lips turn up slightly and it ruins the impression, and he returns to the Aviary before he can outright laugh.

They're Moonblooming Crow Griffins- and they certainly act like it, and immediately bond with your Finders Keepers Runes- apparently, they like shiny things too- they've been picking at the shiny parts of the Slepnir's saddles, and hadn't stopped since you brought them down to the river, and they'd very nearly taken several hooves to the face in their attempts.

You name the one with the white feet and tail Trinkets and the one with the white-tipped feathers Shinies in honor of the fact, and you return to the Aviary to tell Sorren, and he merely grunts in response.

In retribution, you casually say to Sorren something about "whether buzzing a Dragoon Rider with a Griffin is illegal or not" and he snaps his head up in alarm as you dart out of the Aviary and back down to the relative safety of the river's edge, and now that you thought about it, that actually wasn't a bad idea.

Well, it was a horrible idea, but that hasn't stopped you before.

The streets are emptier than ever- you haven't seen a soul all day, actually, and you decide it's perfect for giving the Griffins a running space.

You can actually feel Sorren glaring at you from the window- it's burning into your back.

You ask the Griffins if they'd mind if you rode on them for a bit.

Sorren manages to glare _harder._

They don't mind, and you carefully hop onto Trinkets with the Griffins' help, and all of your animals seem eager to run off some energy.

You tell them to be careful- just because you haven't seen any people doesn't mean there's not any, and Trinkets shifts under you in anticipation.

You know that there's a decent open space close by- a smaller park, you think it's supposed to be- and there should be enough room for your creatures to spread their legs.

You probably wouldn't be arrested for leading a small stampede through the city.

Probably.

You've noticed that there's even fewer Dragoon Riders than normal in the air- even the ones that remain usually remain grounded- so you should be okay. Approximately 86% chance you'd be okay.

You like those numbers.

You see Fairfax and Dyke wind their tails around a wagon handle each- the Otterlings and Servals have piled in and asked for a push, apparently- so you don't have to worry about leaving anyone behind, at least.

Even the prissy Slepnir are stamping their hooves in anticipation- they Dires look like they're about to take off at any minute, the only things holding them back their loyalty to you and unwillingness to be crushed by Slepnir hooves.

Trinkets lurches beneath you and off you go.

Slepnir are faster than Elkrin who are faster than Griffins- Griffins on land, at least- who are about the same speed as Dire Wolves.

You still lead on Trinkets as you and your train of creatures launch through the streets.

A few startled people come to their windows- some children squeal with delight- but you're gone so fast you don't have time to see more than a blur of their face as you go by.

Trinkets lets out an odd cross between a roar and a caw and runs faster, and you flatten yourself down out of habit, laughing as your hair whips around your face and wind stings your eyes.

There were few things greater than this- it's like being accepted, being just another Griffin, Slepnir, Elkrin, Dire- trusting the creature underneath you wouldn't hurt you and the creature trusting that you know where to go.

You round a corner hard and Corey pulls out in front- he's rapidly overtaken by Caroline- the Slepnir had a competitive streak, you swore- and she slows down just enough that you can still lead the way on Trinkets.

You know once you hit the park there's going to be no stopping them, but you don't _care._

It comes into sight and Trinkets' wings shift in anticipation against your legs.

Riding a Griffin on the ground was fun and all, but their true speed came through in the air.

The massive wings unfurl to either side of you and with a mighty beat your stomach lurches and you take off.

You could go higher and faster- you know it, and you're tempted- but it's not safe to ride a Griffin bareback at all and even less so to go so high without a proper saddle.

You stick to just above rooftop height and circle slowly- first, the park, where your Slepnir are finally starting to act like Slepnir and kick and buck and run freely- they're joined almost immediately by the Elkrin- you can see Allie and Caroline staying a bit further away from the adults, playing with the Otterlings, who for once, don't seem to be playing statue. The Dires are playing together, jumping in and out of a pond, chasing one another around and eventually the Servals join them, climbing and faux-catching the Runes, stretching and testing the full power of their claws and climbing skills.

You slowly spread out so that you're circling all of Alabaster- skimming the walls that enclose the city, gliding effortlessly along routes that would've taken you an hour walking were only minutes in the air.

The beauty of flying is that once you're up there, you don't have to think about anything else- all there is is open sky and freedom, and the cold doesn't bother you.

The streets are still empty- almost every one of them, with only the stray merchant here and there in a stall that no one will visit.

Well, at least you know there's no way you'll run into anyone in the return stampede.

The sun has begun to set before you finally call for everyone to follow you back.

It's decidedly less enthusiastic, this time around, but you lead from the skies and people gather at their windows to watch you go by and you smile and wave and cheer, and the kids' eyes light up and they all start chattering rapidly about the Sealer, bright eyes and happy voices.

You think you've given them back a bit of hope, and Sorren glares at you when you return, sore and windswept and panting, but he doesn't say anything.

You feel like it was a test, somehow.

You think you passed.

Everyone's exhausted- you and your creatures- and you go through the process of bedtime rituals almost mechanically- the Slepnir don't try to complain about their food for once, and that's how you know you've done well.

Everyone seems happy, for the first time since you got here, for the first time since this whole mess with Oblivion- the creatures you've gained are a lot like you, you realize- you're all kind of lost in this post- or maybe it's pre?- apocalyptic world.

You're smiling when you sleep that night, and it keeps the nightmares at bay without the help of any Ancient.


	8. Day 8

Griffins make wonderful pillows, you'd like to say.

They're massive and fluffy and warm and you can use their wings as weird blankets if they let you and so you spend a long time trying to convince yourself to leave the warm, comfortable side of Corey (To your amusement, the one you've named after Sorren seems to be the cuddliest of them all) and when you finally do, it's because the Dires are whining for their breakfast and while you can ignore your growing need for food you can't ignore your creatures.

You stagger through the usual feeding routine- you're sore, this is what you get for riding for so long without a saddle, though you don't think having one would've helped you much in the long run.

 _Everything_ hurts.

You get to the Runes, and have to blink a few times before you focus on your Blue Flame Runes.

Looks like your other rune- the one who hatched first- has finally grown up.

They're less draconic- less than Salamander, at least- and closer to something like a fox. Their muzzle is a little narrower, and their feet end in clawed paws that remind you a lot of your Fox Flame Rune Dragons- their wings are longer and narrower than most of your Rune Dragons, and their gaze is still slitted, but more like a Ligers' than a snakes', and shines with intelligence and mischievous intent- they seem to be more Drake than Rune Dragon.

The Rune hops onto your arm.

You're worried, at first, that you're being burned- but curiously, it just feels like heat- not unbearable, not even uncomfortable, though you're pretty sure that if the Rune wanted to they could do some damage- and doesn't seem to weigh much of anything, only the slightest, odd pressure where the Rune's paws grip your wrist.

The remind you of Steve, in a way.

You ache for the comfort of your Homestead, and not for the first time.

You decide to name the Blue Flame Rune Phoenix, and they seem to like the name, considering they don't burn your hand off.

Phoenix returns to the box with Salamander and waits to be fed.

Things go slowly, for once, and you spend most of your morning gathering feathers with Muzu- you've got quite the hoard, by now- and decide to go pester Sorren about it.

There's a sense of anxiousness about today, curling in your gut- like, for some reason, today is the last day you'll have here.

It's not a comforting feeling.

You kick it to one side and stiffly stride your way up to the Aviary.

Sorren seems more worried than usual, somehow- you can't pin it down, and it vanishes the moment you enter, but it doesn't help the anxiety you're feeling.

"It's almost been a week now, do you think my chances are good with the Watch Crows? You know, since I do admit that I enjoy living and all that?" When in doubt, joke.

"At least your humor has not dulled, given the circumstances. As for your chances, they could really go either way at this point. Ultimately, you have yet to see the extent of your actions, but my argument to them was that you were less like an evil cohort and more like an oblivious, fumbling child who was swayed by Oblivion's dark influence and who also did not know when to stop touching things," he says, and yeah, he's more concerned than usual if he's not even trying to mask his insults.

"From what I saw at the Ashmoors, your actions were unintentional, but the Watch Crows have a right to be wary of you. It is not necessarily you yourself that they do not trust, in fact it is painfully obvious after just observing you for one week that you are no dark mastermind. Rather they are greatly concerned as to why Oblivion let you live. Your usefulness was at an end as soon as you opened the Obsidian Gates, so why leave you now to wander freely, and potentially work against him? It just doesn't make sense.

"So the question here is not whether your intentions are good, that is plain to see, but whether Oblivion plans to do something with you that would potentially harm the world further. Now you see our dilemma and why we hesitate to take action. For your sake, I hope their decision is in your favor."

It seems you and the Watch Crows have questions in common, and no answers.

Well, at least it looks like they probably won't kill you immediately.

You decide to change the subject.

"I've been wondering, where do you keep getting all these history books for me to read? I mean, I don't mind the homework per say, but they keep popping up with no end!" Seriously, you don't know how they keep popping up in your wagon. It's usually with you, and usually piled high with pets and food and feathers. You're not sure how they fit at all, actually.

"Hey, learning your history is important and you should be grateful that you have the ability to read. There are many who live alone or on the streets that can't afford that luxury," he snaps, and you're certain he's hiding something from that defense.

"As for the books...well...I like to read, okay? What's with the goofy grin? Don't act so accomplished just because you know that. There's nothing wrong with liking a good book or two...or hundred or so. As embarrassing as this is to admit, I actually did not know how to read or write when I lived alone back in Silverport during my youth. I always loved to listen to others read, though. I often used to eavesdrop on the local school house there when I could, just to hear them recite history about far off places and grand events. It was like listening to someone paint a whole 'nother world that you could escape to when you imagined it -- I was greatly envious of those who could open a book and speak the words as if they were magic," he looks away for just a moment, rubbing the back of his neck in what might actually be called a _shy_ manner before clearing his throat, trying to hide his apparent embarrassment over collecting books. You mentally store this information away as blackmail.

"It was actually Will who sat me down and taught me how to read and write. He is surprisingly educated for all his inaccuracies with speech, but I eagerly coveted those lessons since I wanted to learn the magic to make words paint an image for me. It wasn't magic of course, but that's the mind of a child for you. It's one of the many things I owe Will for to which I can never really return the favor...alright now your grinning is just getting ridiculous. Out. Now."

"Don't ruffle your feathers, Sorren," you say, still grinning, and Sorren threatens you with a broom and the promise of "I've killed people for less with less!" so you leave in a hurry.

Best give him a couple hours to calm down before trying again.

You search with Muzu for a while, but the feathers are getting harder and harder to find- eventually, Muzu flies back to Sorren's cottage, only giving you a few happy chirps goodbye.

Huh. Apparently you found them all.

You return to your creatures and do some stretches to try and alleviate the pain in your muscles and ponder about how well sleepless nights are for such things.

You think Sorren should have calmed down by now. Hopefully.

Sorren glares at you when you enter but he doesn't threaten you again, so you assume you're safe for the time being.

"So what creatures do you have for me?"

The worried expression tugs at Sorren's face for a second and you feel the anxiety in your gut seize slightly.

Sorren motions you outside.

You go.

Sorren brings you Drakes- and despite the excitement at seeing the massive creatures the ball in your gut tightens.

"Before you stands a great beast, a creature that is of a rare breed found only here in Alabaster. The White Drakes who breathe blue flames are what inspires much of this city's culture.

"These four wounded warriors have lost their riders. We are still searching for them, but there have been few signs of them since their disappearance. No one seems entirely sure of what transpired. It becomes more apparent everyday that Oblivion has returned, but it must have been a terrifying night when beast and rider were separated...these drakes have not been the same since. It is rare to see a rune drake of all creatures be affected like this, but maybe you can care for them since this is partially your doing. Just don't forget that to have one of these creatures is a great honor, one that some have given their lives for."

You must look as miserable as you feel because Sorren startles when he looks at you.

They look so _sad._

Drakes are creatures of power and command respect from all who see them- they keep their heads high and roast anyone who dares to defy their will.

These ones hang their heads low and their wings drag when they walk, their armor is dirty and scratched and they don't seem to realize.

You wordlessly lead them down to the others and work on shining their armor, on making sure that they themselves are not injured.

You find their names embroidered on their saddles.

The one with the red gradient wings and golden armor is Tavrith, the one with the antlers and slightly duller yellow-green armor is Vee. The one with the off-white armor that looks like bones is Lyvira and the one with purple armor is Primrose.

They don't really respond when you call them by their names, and you wonder if they think their Riders have died or been otherwise injured, whether they're holding out on the hope that their Riders will show up any minute now, smiling and no worse for wear.

Primrose doesn't even flinch when one of the Dires steals a bit of her food, and screw being sore, you need to do _something._

You're probably not supposed to leave the city. You're supposed to gather feathers and be under a close watch. You're supposed to be the "Sealer", the one that Seraphina spoke about, and you don't even know what that _is._

Sorren was going to kill you for this.

You ask the Drakes if they're up for a trip over the walls, and they seem to understand what you mean.

You mount Tavrith and- despite the small space to take off, despite being pretty sure you hear Sorren yell something at you, despite the fact that you might very well be executed for this- you lift off, the other Drakes in hot pursuit.

It only takes a few beats of their mighty wings before you swing over the wall.

The Drakes lead the way from there.

They seem to know where their Riders were last, and Tavrith charges for it; you circle high, at first, then lower and lower, with him occasionally breathing out a burst of blue fire- a flare, a beacon.

You're not sure how long you stay there, searching, praying to every Ancient you've met and some of the one's you've only ever heard of.

The sun is setting when you finally stop.

You've come up empty; you've covered every square inch of forest and path and lake and river, and you've got nothing to show for it.

The Drakes know it.

You whisper apologies to the wind the entire ride back.

As expected, Sorren is livid- he's as mad as you've ever seen him, and you're pretty sure he's repressing a transformation.

You don't say anything and he all but drags you into the Aviary and sits you down in a chair.

You're expecting him to chew you out for breaking the unspoken rule of not leaving the city, for ruining your chances with the Watch Crows, for making him and Willy look like fools.

He drapes a blanket around your shoulders and it's then you realize you're crying.

Now that you're aware of it, it's like a dam breaking- you break down.

You coil into a ball and your creatures do their best to comfort you.

They're crying too- for lost bonds, lost homes, for all of those that have and that are going to lose everything.

When you've finally cried yourself out, you don't feel better. Everything hasn't magically become clear, and you still don't know what to do, or what the Sealer means or why Oblivion spared you or how to go about saving the world from your mistake.

Sorren lets you sleep on his chair that night.


	9. Day 9

You're not sure how well you sleep, or if you sleep at all, really, but it's difficult to open your eyes and you're not sure if it's because you're tired or if it's because of your tears.

You don't feel tired. You just feel empty.

You get up mechanically and your Dires, Servals, Runes, and Otterlings perk up, rushing to their feet in a surprisingly loud thump.

It's enough to make you smile, a little, and your Dires yip happily, waggling their entire bodies with the force of their tails.

Jade barrels into you with enough vigor to knock you over and the Dires swarm you, all of them doing their best to try and lick you in every available place, no matter who they have to step on to get there.

You end up covered in Dire slobber and fur by the time you manage to push them back long enough to stand again, and they look smugly pleased with themselves at their work.

You feel the need to reiterate how much you love these Dires.

You don't see Sorren anywhere- you're not really surprised, he's seemed busier as of late- and you force your way outside, careful not to step on the Servals that wind tightly around your ankles as you stagger through the door.

You're immediately pounced on by the Griffins- not literally, thank goodness, it was hard enough getting up after a Dire Wolf tackled you, you don't want to think about getting up after a Griffin tackled you- and they demand attention before letting you pass to see the Drakes.

They still look miserable- you didn't expect any different- but they raise their heads when you walk towards them and Tavrith nudges you with his massive head, demanding attention.

They don't look great, or even good, but you think that they're going to be okay. They all did their best to find their Dragoons, and you all came up empty. There's no more doubt, no more last-bit-of-hope, and while it's still a crushing blow it's over.

You think they can move on now.

The numbness inside you seems to fade, a little bit, and you decide you should move on too.

You're still the person who was gifted Faldinreach's summoning stone when you were just starting to take care of the creatures you call your friends and your bonds and your family.

You're still the person who foolishly thought they could buy the Elderwind's friendship with baubles, and the person who proved everyone who laughed at you wrong when they accepted.

You're still the same person who stumbled, lost, into the Flickering Vales and named a magical stump who gave you candy Steve, then convinced creatures from beyond the grave to join you by giving them candy- even the Grave Keeper Ancient who guards them choose to follow you.

You faced down Azara for Captain Willy in a mad scramble for glass shards and made friends with the creatures he gave you and the ones you met hiding from Azara- and at the end of it, Captain Willy had given you an necklace for you efforts- Nawatt, the Ancient of the Past's, summoning stone and learned to listen to history to keep from making those mistakes in the future.

You gathered tokens for a festival that no one attended- with the help of your beloved Steve, of course- and helped to bring life to a long-forgotten tradition and befriended the creatures who celebrated it in silence until then; you befriended and freed the Yin Ancient, trapped in her shrine.

You bailed the Glitch Ancient out of trouble when the idiot scrambled a few too many buildings with baubles and sweet words and the promise of never letting him hurt that village again and made him your friend in the process; though you're sure at first Snafu didn't want the slightest thing to do with you.

You survived being basically kidnapped and dropped into the middle of the Mystic Glade with nothing to your name but the clothes on your back, and- once again, with Steve's help- met Seraphina, who you now know is the Ancient of Fate, and her caravan, learning their ways and befriending their creatures; eventually being freed from the illusion that kept you there by the Illusion Ancient who'd kidnapped you away there, Mahamayah.

Then you accidentally opened the Gates- in your defense, Sullivan had been pretty nice, giving you pets (which you now realize he either raised from the dead or plucked out of the fires of oblivion itself) in exchange for rune stones, graciously given to you by Steve, and Oblivion broke the seal on his cage and was unleashed unto the world once again, trying to kill Steve in the process.

They're mostly bitter memories- you brought death and despair to a world you wanted nothing more than to live in- but they're not all bad. The creatures Oblivion gave you remained and still remain yours; you met Muzu and Steve regained his Phoenix form and chose to come with you despite your grave mistake.

Then you'd informally met Sorren- he carried you back to his home in Silverport, where you'd finally woken up, just in time to help Willy face down Azara once again. You'd climbed up and down the lighthouse almost every minute of every day, faced down a demon Rune for the sake of your pets and even plucked a few right out of Azara's hoard. You'd there met Verdandi- the Ancient of the Present- who despite giving you a verbal lashing apparently saw something in you she liked and chose to follow you, like her brother.

And, most recently- you'd met the Leviathan, injured and dragged to the beach in his smaller, weaker form- Nawatt had assured you that at the Leviathan's true form would've covered the entirety of the beach he'd been dragged up on, and paid the whalers who'd caught him to leave him be, even if it took you a lot of persuasion and a flat-out threat from Verdandi to do it.

The Leviathan didn't talk much to you, but he didn't try and kill you for patching up some of his wounds, and answered a few of your questions about him when you asked, and when he was okay enough to swim freely back to the deeper waters he prefers- where he's free to take his full form without accidentally destroying the ground with a stray stroke of his tail.

(You'd seen him jump from the water in full form later- his tail didn't even fully leave the water and he'd blotted out the sun.)

It didn't matter what the Watch Crows think of you. With so many creatures, so many people, so many friends at your side, how could you possibly lose to Oblivion?

You're not scared of the Watch Crows- you've faced Azara twice and come out alive, stared Oblivion in the face. How could they possibly scare you?

(You're lying to yourself, and you know it. You rather like living, and the Watch Crows don't seem to be too keen on it.)

You spend the day taking care of your pets.

You do a lot of brushing, a lot of washing, a lot of chasing- Flufferbuns was surprisingly fast when he didn't want to take a bath- and your hands are starting to cramp by the time that everyone's fur, feathers, scales and armor are in the best state they can be.

You fly around the city some more- you introduce some children who've been allowed outside to watch the Griffins and Drakes fly to the best ways to pet both types of pets, and there are stars in their eyes when their mother calls them in for dinner.

They ask you who you are, and you don't hesitate before telling them you're the Sealer.

You wonder about how easy it became to reply to that name as you fly back to Sorren's Aviary.

Curiously, Muzu isn't waiting on the fence, nor does he fly into your face in an attempt to roll in your hair- you assume he's with Sorren, and go to look for your weird bird friend.

Sorren had told you the night before- once you'd calmed a little, but before you'd fallen asleep- that today was your day of reckoning, and to be prepared.

You don't feel prepared.

You hesitate at the door- the same door you'd practically knocked off its hinges several times throughout the past week- had it really already been a week?- and after steeling yourself, you twist the knob and cautiously walk in.

"Welcome Sealer, glad you came on schedule this time."

Sorren's voice is as smooth as ever- no hint of much emotion to clue you into your fate, though his dual gaze is as sharp as knives. Muzu flies from out of nowhere and lights on Sorren's shoulder, eyes surprisingly serious and piercing and you could've sworn you saw the blue glow you've been noticing throughout the week flash in them.

"Are you prepared for what I have to tell you?" Sorren's voice brings you from your thoughts, and you give a single, sharp nod before you can convince yourself otherwise, bracing yourself for what Fate has in store for you.

"The Watch Crows have observed you these past few days as you performed your tasks. They believe that you yourself are no threat to the realm...however, I'm afraid they deem you too much of a risk since it is uncertain what Oblivion himself plans to do with you. You, Sealer, are guilty of the charges against you, for bringing darkness upon this realm, for releasing Oblivion, and for also letting loose an old curse that is destroying the lives of hundreds as we speak..."

You don't say anything- you're not sure you could find the words if you tried- and your shoulders sag in defeat. Some part of you knew this was coming, but it's still difficult to believe. Who would take care of your pets? You're quite attatched to them, you wouldn't want just anyone looking after them, plus your summoning stones for the Ancients need-

"But despite all that...they have decided that instead of simply executing you for your crimes, that it would be better to have you join our ranks. So welcome to the Watch Crows, Sealer."

What.

You stand stunned for a few long moments before you remember to breathe again.

You've been accepted into the Order? THE fabled Order of the Watch Crows spoken of only in legend and whispers in the night, spoken of in countless myths and shrouded in mystery. You glance at Sorren's face, and he seems weary- tiredness permeates his features, and you realize he was probably up all night fighting on your behalf.

You finally remember how to speak and work up a response, "I don't know what to say...I'm honored! Also very very confused but -- thank you. I know you and Captain Willy have been fighting on my behalf, and I can't thank you both enough for that..." 

Sorren looks faintly amused by your reaction, tilting his head in a fashion that reminds you a lot of the birds he's so fond of. "If there is anyone you should thank, it should be Seraphina. In the end, they were not going to listen to Will and I, but imagine everyone's surprise last night at our gathering when the 'Fate Weaver' herself arrived unannounced. She was the one who pretty much told them to accept you into our Order instead of going through with the execution. So not only did she vouch for you, Seraphina saved your life. In the end, she gave them little room to argue with her reasoning. She argued that you would ultimately 'be more useful as a Crow than as a dead human,' as she put it."

You have to wonder why Seraphina keeps coming to your defense like this- you haven't really done her any favors, and you're a little concerned to what her motives are to keep defending you like this.

You manage a few shocked, broken words, trying to work through what to ask next, but Sorren doesn't give you time to think it through, motioning you swiftly to a back room you hadn't noticed before. "If you're going to be a part of the Watch Crows, then we need to start the initiation quickly. There isn't much time before you must leave here, but before that, there is something that I am supposed to give you."

He urges you into the darkened room, and you can feel something else in the room with you- something ethereal, almost- and the shadows that blanket the room seem to welcome you into their cool embrace before being driven back by the soft glow of candlelight.

You blink rapidly to let your eyes adjust to the darkness, and find yourself in a room worthy of being called an aviary- crows and their nests line the walls in a spiraling pattern all the way up to an opening in the ceiling where moonlight shines faintly through, reflecting off of shiny odds and ends in the nests and scattering the light about the room.

Sorren steps lightly over to a few nests near the far back and examines each for a length of time, his tall frame somehow dark despite the soft light that surrounds, before he very suddenly stops at one as if in something like recognition, carefully lifting the contents of the nest out with a purposefully steady grip.

He walks over to you slowly, holding the object with greater care and consideration that he usually uses for himself before showing you what he has in his grasp.

"This egg was recently conceived by two very special crows who passed away about a week ago alongside their masters. That was on the night you arrived here as well, so I have no doubt that such an event was no mere coincidence. As such, I have taken care of it ever since, but it has refused to hatch. At first I was worried that perhaps it too had perished like its parents, but now, I am certain that this creature belongs to you and you alone." He pauses momentarrily and you crane your neck to see what appears to be an average crow egg resting gently in his palm and continues, "Within our Order, we perform a very different kind of bonding ritual with these birds, one that was written long ago in an ancient blood pact of old magic with the Ancient of Shadows herself. It is a promise, an agreement, that we have kept to this day with her children that now work alongside us as we strive to protect all of Eldemore from imbalance and destruction." 

You look up questioningly- you know a lot about bonding, considering your chosen profession of "caretaker of literally every creature ever" - official title, actually- but you've never heard of this, and you feel an ominous, cold chill go down your spine. "The Ancient of Shadows? Blood bonding? I have never heard of such things, nor do I know much about the dark mistress herself. I have only heard her mentioned in legends as the keeper of secrets and shadows."

"Yes, I'm sure you have wondered how we see all, hear all, are always there but never found. It is through the forbidden ritual of blood bonding with a chosen crow that we sever a piece of our soul and connect it with a child of the shadows. Because you are to join our Order, this information can be divulged to you, however, this dark act should never be performed more than once -- after all, you only have so much of your soul to give before it breaks. The results of abusing this can ultimately befall you a Fate worse than death. A being with no soul, no matter if they're human or one of the other magical races, is only an empty husk devoid of both the right to bond or use of magic of any sort. They are pitiful creatures and terrifying all the same...you would do well to avoid becoming such a thing." 

The prospect is both intriguing and terrifying, and you're not sure what to make of it. You'd heard of blood pacts in legends- dark, terrible things to be used by those with no respect for life- but they were simply myths, legends to frighten children with.

Perhaps, considering the creatures you've met, you'd do wise to rethink a few of those legends.

Suddenly, the relationship between Muzu and Sorren snaps into place. "Does that mean you and Muzu are also connected like this? I thought halfborns could not have a magical bond?"

"Yes, you are correct. Halfborns can not have a magical bond, but this is not wholly magic. Having a piece of your soul tethered to another being through a blood bond isn't the same, it does not require magic, only a promise and a drop of blood. It is the closest I will ever get to understanding the freedom one feels in having a pure bond with another creature. By being directly connected to Muzu through this dark art, I can see and hear everything he does. It does not make it right though -- blood pacts are forbidden for a reason since, in truth, it is a perverted form of a true magical bond, but it is one that I accepted without hesitation nonetheless. I have no regrets. Certainly you've noticed the flash of light in Muzu's eyes? That glow is the reflection of my soul within him, and it is how I was able to find you in the Ashmoors, and also keep tabs on you while you and Will were in Silverport. Crows have always been the keepers of secrets, so it makes sense that they can also harbor a sliver of one's heart within them, since they are the messengers of the Ancient of Shadows herself. However, I performed this ritual before I joined the crows oddly enough...makes you wonder if it was the dark mistress herself who gave me Muzu on that fateful day...I've always wondered, but that is beside the point." 

You're about to make a snide comment about Muzu having the fun part of Sorren's soul when, in the blink of an eye, he draws out a short blade and you quickly rethink that course of action.

You're also wondering where exactly he kept that on him and how long it's been there, and what other weapons he has on his person.

Well, you guess you know the reason for the belts.

Sorren hands you the crow egg, and you carefully cradle it in both hands, beyond confused, but Sorren ignores the perplexed look on your face. "A single drop is all that is needed for this to take place. Now, Sealer, do you promise to uphold our creed to 'Watch and Protect' this realm from the haven of the Shadows? To give your life at any cost, to keep the world's balance, and to also serve under the Ancient of Shadow's name as you work alongside her children of the night?"

Your heart begins to beat faster, and you can feel the magic of the words tugging at you- pulling at your soul, your very core, asking for just the one drop of blood to make the pact whole.

At first, you want to say no out of the sheer principle- but this is your chance to right your wrongs, to try and make up for the damage you've caused, and you submit with a single, deep nod of acceptance.

"I do."

You speak loudly and clearly, more sure of yourself than you have been in months, and you can almost feel the bind that your words construct, and Sorren carefully takes one of your hands and pricks it carefully and leading it to the egg, allowing a single large drop of blood to fall onto the egg you hold close to your heart.

You feel the change immediately- like a piece of something fundamental was taken from you then swiftly replaced with something new- another, smaller heartbeat alongside yours.

You stare down at the egg in wonder.

This was inherently different than any bond you'd ever made- even with the Ancients- it felt closer, more personal somehow, and you feel the distant need to speak in 'we' and 'us'. You bring the fragile shell of your bond closer to you in a protective embrace, smiling softly when you feel warmth begin to pulse from the once deathly cold shell.

  
"Welcome to the Watch Crows, Sealer. Keep your companion close, since they now hold a piece of your soul within them. They will watch over you and protect you to their dying breath, so be sure to do the same in return, and uphold the promise you made for all of Eldemore this night. Now, you must hurry up and pack. Seraphina requested you personally to meet her at the Mystic Glades in a few months time, so you best not keep her waiting. Afterall, she went to great lengths to ensure that you still breathe today. Oh, and before I forget, there is some bad news...the rest of our Order decided to have you apprenticed to both Will and myself. Now, I told them explicitly that I don't do apprentices, but they thought it was hilariously fitting since we were the only two who fought for your innocence. This is going to throw all of my previous assignments off, I hate babysitting, so you better be ready to pull your weight...literally this time. I won't be dragging you back from the Ashmoors twice."

Even if you already made the oath, you swear it again in your mind, and the shadows around you seem to squeeze in an almost motherly, fond embrace.

You wonder how an apprenticeship under Sorren and Willy would- or rather, will- go, and what the Watch Crows would have you do under them.

You think about what they have Sorren do and shudder.

You shake the unpleasant thoughts quickly and focus on the good- you're going to be going to the Mystic Glades again, and after wandering around for so long lost in them, you think you know the route there pretty well- and it you don't, you can ask Mahamayah.

You swiftly and angrily tell them in your mind that they better not kidnap you in your sleep again, and you think you feel a twitch against your fingertips that means your bond laughed.

You're not sure their name or gender yet- you have a feeling you'd only know once they'd hatched, that they'd tell you their name, so, much to Sorren's chargin, you refer to them as your soulbirb for the time being.

You think Sorren is mostly fed up with your use of the word 'birb' instead of 'bird' when in reference to the crows, but he just sighs in defeat, looking more tired than you've ever seen him.

You think it's about time you got out of his feathers.

Muzu, at least, seems sad that you're leaving, and now that you know he's a part of Sorren's soul you know that that means Sorren will miss you too, at least a little, and though he protests loudly at your accusation he lets you hug him goodbye.

You fashion a sash of a kind out of a spare t-shirt and use it to bind around your stomach, carefully slipping your bond inside, snug against your skin but not so tight as to accidentally break the shell and prepare to lead your creatures home.

You saddle Trinkets and take off, leading the way from the sky for your creatures on the ground to follow and wave at Sorren and Muzu as you leave.

Just as you're about to turn around, Sorren waves back.

You smile and gently turn your Griffin towards home.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I've ever written a thing so long in my life and much less finished something like this I am just
> 
> Thank you all so much for supporting me and I hope you guys had as much fun reading as I did writing! 
> 
> Thank you again, and may your soulbirbs hatch soon~

**Author's Note:**

> I'll upload a chapter a day if I can keep with the schedule~ I'd love for some feedback, so drop a comment or a kudo or both and I will love you forever.


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